Authentic learning experiences help students understand the relevance of what they’re learning and how they can apply their skills in the professional world. Authentic Learning describes learning activities that are either carried out in real-world contexts, or have high transfer to a real-world setting. Authentic learning activities should have both personal and cultural relevance (Stein, Isaacs, & Andrews, 2004). Authentic learning is learning designed to connect what students are taught in school to real-world issues, problems, and applications; learning experiences should mirror the complexities and ambiguities of real life. Creating Authentic Learning Experiences. In yet another proof point, a meta-analysis from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that student exam scores improved 6% when active learning approaches were used. So many ways to offer students Authentic Learning Experiences: As a nurse, I am familiar with the Authentic Activities used in nursing school. A uthentic learning is a term used to describe instructional strategies that are designed to connect the subjects students are taught in school and university to the real world.. My first recognition that this was an ideal approach to teaching and learning came when I taught gifted elementary and middle school students in a pull-out program. An example of Authentic Activities is situations where we use simulations such as the mannikins used in the skills lab to practice IM injections or starting IVs. In education, authentic learning is an approach that allows students to explore, examine, grapple with, and discuss concepts and correlations in real-world scenarios and/or contexts that are relevant to students themselves. Authentic materials provide real-life examples of language used in everyday situations. They can be used to add more interest for the learner. Online learners are able to apply their knowledge in a realistic and relatable context. . The Authentic Learning Model centers on self-guided exploration, group discussions, and real-world challenges. For example, a traditional assignment might ask students to identify and describe the setting of a story; an authentic assessment of the task would instead have students explain why the author chose to select the story’s setting and what effect it has on how the story progresses. Historically, Authentic Learning might be compared to the early concepts of apprenticeships (Lombardi, 2007). Authentic learning is a useful approach for encouraging our learners to develop the critical thinking skills and confidence needed to tackle real-life situations. Providing authentic learning experiences to all learners should be the highest prior for all administrators, curriculum developers, and teachers. 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